Stricter penalties for providing alcohol to minors, says law commissioner

The sale of alcohol to minors or the consumption thereof by minors is illegal, Law Commissioner Louiza Zannetou said on Wednesday.

Zannetou was speaking during a round table discussion organised by the Cyprus addictions authority and the Association of liver patients and friends in Nicosia, and called for harsher punishments for those who provide alcohol to minors.

At present, those caught providing alcohol to minors are liable for a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to €3,000.

In addition, she demanded the police in every district publish on the official police website the number of violations of the law in question and publish a list of every establishment caught selling alcohol to minors.

She also said that the relevant government agencies and organisations should “take appropriate measures” including information campaigns targeted at businesses and parents, to raise awareness of the relevant legislation.

Zannetou’s comments come after a report was released on Tuesday revealing that Cypriot children drink more alcohol than their counterparts in the rest of Europe, but in a smaller quantity.

The report was a result of the Espad survey, which questioned 15 and 16-year-olds across Europe.

It showed that a whopping 87 per cent of children surveyed in Cyprus consider it “easy or very easy” to access alcohol.

This figure dwarfs the European average of 78 per cent, though it was also noted that only 11 per cent of Cypriot children surveyed reported having been drunk in the last month – less than the European average of 13 per cent.